Having an occasional drink will not put your body at risk. However, if you regularly drink heavily, it will have a lasting impact on you physically and mentally.
According to WebMD, “heavy drinking” for men is defined as having more than four drinks a day, or 14-15 drinks a week. For women, it is defined as having more than three drinks a day, or 7-8 drinks per week.
Here is how the excessive use of alcohol can impact your body, as explained by the publication.
Anaemia
This occurs when your body is unable to produce enough healthy red blood cells to move oxygen around. When you have too much alcohol, you are likely to skip meals, which short-changes your body of iron.
Brain and nervous system problems
Once your brain’s pathway is affected by booze, it will make it harder for you to think or speak clearly, remember certain things, make decisions or even move your body.
Drinking heavily can also cause mental health issues and painful nerve damage which can last for quite a while after you are sober.
Digestive problems
Alcohol inflames the stomach lining which causes nausea and heartburn. Over time, alcohol does the following:
- Gives you ulcers and chronic inflammation in your oesophagus and stomach
- Makes it harder for your intestines to digest important nutrients
- Causes a buildup of digestive enzymes in your pancreas
- Affects the amount of insulin you make, putting you at a higher risk for diabetes
Heart disease
Alcohol makes it likely for your body to experience the dangers of blood clots and high levels of fats and cholesterol in your body. Therefore, heavy drinkers are more likely to have trouble pumping blood to the heart.
Liver damage
Your liver may not be able to flush alcohol – a toxin – out of your body if you drink too much, too fast. People are likely at a high risk of getting alcoholic fatty liver disease if they are long-term heavy drinkers.
